Gluten-Free Anisette Cookies

4.50 from 2 votes

Gluten-Free Anisette Cookies

When made correctly, Italian anisette cookies have a pillowy soft, light, cake-like texture, coated in a sweet anise flavored icing. They melt in your mouth and are just sweet enough with a strong black licorice flavor that keeps me going back for more.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

cooling & icing30

Total Time22

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: anisette cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 167kcal

Author: Alina Eisenhauer

Ingredients

Cookies

5 large eggs
168 grams granulated sugar
196 grams light olive oil (canola, vegetable or avocado will work)
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon anise oil (extract is not as strong)
560 grams 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
1½ tablespoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt

Icing

2 pounds confectioners' sugar (1 large bag)
160 grams water
½ teaspoon anise oil

Instructions

Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line three cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Using a stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light, fluffy and a pale yellow color.
Slowly add the oil, vanilla and anise oil, whisking the entire time to incorporate.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, and add to the egg mixture. Mix until just combined; do not over mix.
Cover the bowl with a dish towel, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon measure, scoop the cookies and roll into balls.
Place approx. 1½ inches apart on parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for six minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for six additional minutes. The cookies should have almost no color on top and be just slightly browned on the bottom.
Remove from the oven, and move to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Icing

Mix confectioners' sugar, water and anise oil together in a medium-sized bowl until smooth and lump free.
Dip each cookie into the icing, and place on a cooling rack set above a cookie sheet to catch the excess icing drips. Frost about six cookies at a time, and then go back and add your sprinkles. If you sprinkle to soon, they will slide off and the colors will run, and if you sprinkle too late, the sprinkles will bounce and not stick to your cookies.
Once dry, store in a single layer in airtight containers at room temperature for up to a week.

Notes

These cookies can be frozen after baking, but before icing, for up to a month. When ready to use, take them out, defrost and then ice them according to the directions.

Variation:

Lemon Cookies: Use lemon extract in place of the anise oil in the cookie dough. Replace half of the water in the icing with fresh lemon juice, and omit the anise oil.

Nutrition